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Fyfe Wilson & Co started in
Glasgow soon after the First World War as engineering consultants
and manufacturers of generating sets. There was a growing demand for
electric lighting to replace gas. Many of the generators went into
cinemas, which were very popular. At that time there was no
electrical distribution network.
Around 1920, H.F.K.Dearlove was employed as an engineering
consultant and opened an office in the City of London. The business
included factory installations and modernisation by re-equipping
with electric generation and the application of electric motors.
Mr Dearlove acquired the company from Mr Fyfe's widow and the
business was incorporated as a Limited Liability Company in 1921. In
the same year a works was purchased in Bishop's Stortford.
Work continued to expand with the gradual spread of the National
Grid. Because many towns operated their own generators there were
many different voltages, frequencies and even some DC systems in
operation. These all had to be converted to the new 440/220 volt AC
system. Fyfe Wilson & Co re-designed and rewound electrical
equipment to meet the new standard.
During and after the depression of the early thirties, Mr Dearlove's
consultancy brought in a wide variety of rewinding and general
engineering work for a very diverse range of customers. These
included industries covering Cod Liver Oil, Matches, Leather, Flour
Mills, Breweries, Rope Makers. A Silk Mill and many nationally known
companies such as Cadburys and Crow Catchpole, ( now Tarmac).
This mix of work continued until the Second World War when, at an
early stage, the company was engaged by the Admiralty to carry out
secret development work on heavy marine diesel engines together with
the specialised generators needed to provide degaussing systems for
minesweepers.
The strict quality system and inspection rigorously applied during
the war years introduced a discipline which was to stand the company
in good stead in later years when further government work became
available in the form of electromagnets for radar transmitters and,
later, TV broadcasting.
After the war the company gradually returned to commercial work and
in 1952 was honoured to build and supply the mobile generators for
the Royal Train used by Princess Elizabeth to tour South Africa. It
was on this train that she heard the news of her father's death. She
returned for her Coronation the following year.
From then until the present, the company has continued to meet the
changing needs of its clients with electrical and mechanical site
installation work, manufacture of specialised machinery,
electromagnets for use in Radar, TV Transmitters and Body Scanners
and all types of electrical repairs and rewinds.
The company remains in the ownership of the Dearlove family.
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